The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 17 January 2012 /

We're in for a treat, as a select field heads for the stunning Fancourt Links but what will it take to win?

Tournament
Although in just its second year, the Volvo Golf Champions is already very different to last year's inaugural event in Bahrain. It's now at a new venue and it's for players that have won on the European Tour since the beginning of the 2011 season. Also eligible are players, under the age of 50, that have won at least ten times on the European Tour. There will be no cut.

Venue
The Links at Fancourt, George, South Africa

Course Details
Par 73, 7271 yards. Opened in 2000, and recently voted South Africa's number one course, The Links is a Gary Player designed links-style track on a former airfield. It was used for the 2003 Presidents Cup and the 2006 South Africa Open, won by Retief Goosen.

Useful Sites
www.volvogolfchampions.com
www.fancourt.co.za
https://www.golfweather.com/456/westerncape/fancourthotelcountryclubestate

TV Coverage
Live on Sky Sports all four days, starting at 11.00am on Thursday

Last year's winner (played in Bahrain)
2011 - Paul Casey -20

Typical Winner
I don't think you can go too far wrong concentrating on the links exponents. Players that have a solid record in the Open Championship (always played on a links layout) or the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship should fare well.

Market Leaders & home contingent
The 2010 Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen, heads the market at [6.2] and as Mike Norman points out in his excellent form guide, nine of the last ten events on South African soil have gone to a South African but there aren't quite so many in the line-up this time around and I can see that trend breaking.

Oosty didn't play in Joburg last week because his wife was due to give birth to their second child and whilst I haven't been able to find out if the baby's been born yet or not, I still think there's enough of a distraction there to turn my nose up at the price.

Second favourite, Charl Schwartzel missed the cut on his home course last week and he has a pretty poor links record too. He makes no appeal at a single-figure price.

Retief Goosen and Ernie Els pulled miles clear of the remainder of the field here in 2005 (in the 2006 South Africa Open) and this is there sort of gaff for sure but they're simply not the force they were. I very much respect Paul's belief in Ernie and of the two, he'd be the one I'd side with but I'm happy to let the pair go un-backed.

Thomas Aiken has an association with Fancourt , Garth Mulroy has won at the venue, but on a different course, and last week's winner, Branden Grace, is from George but I'm leaving them all alone. Aiken disappoints time after time, Mulroy has lost his form and Grace won't be handed the title as he was last week and looks outclassed.

Selections
Thomas Bjorn is a fine links exponent and an insulting price given he won three times on Tour last year. It's anyone's guess what state his game will be in on his seasonal debut but that's the case with many in the field.

Tom Lewis' form took a nosedive after he won the Portugal Masters in just his third European Tour start last autumn but he may have benefited from the break. Given he led the Open Championship after day one last year and that he won the 2011 Links Championship as an amateur, we know the venue will suit. Any price around the [50.0] mark may look huge about this class act in a few months time, when he's properly bedded- in on Tour and I thought he was worth chancing.

And finally, last year's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship winner, Michael Hoey, looked a fair price at [85.0] too.

Volvo Golf Champions Selections
Thomas Bjorn @ [42.0]
Tom Lewis @ [50.0]
Michael Hoey @ [85.0]

I'll be back later with a preview of the US Tour's event, the Humana Challenge, and I'll probably kick off the In-Play Blog on Friday.

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